


Mirrors are a dangerous thing

by myrowkelow



Series: All That Glitters Is Not Gold [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff between best friends and roommates, Fjord is pretty proud of his head of hair, Fjord is somewhat vain, Gen, Mollymauk is naked, he never had a problem because of his hair and now his hair is turning grey way too early, then he sees a grey hair, they are all roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22123372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myrowkelow/pseuds/myrowkelow
Summary: Fjord is eighteen the first time he sees a grey hair. He thanks the world for his best friend and roommate Mollymauk.
Relationships: Fjord & Mollymauk Tealeaf
Series: All That Glitters Is Not Gold [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592467
Comments: 7
Kudos: 26





	Mirrors are a dangerous thing

The first time he saw a grey hair, he was exactly 18. He had been growing out his hair for a while now, and the offending grey hair was right there. Right there on his hairline on the right side, exactly where it would naturally part. He squinted at his reflection in the mirror, carefully plucking the hair between his thumb and forefinger. A small huff escaped his lips, but no more. He threw the hair in the toilet and flushed it. It had to disappear as fast as possible. No proof left behind.

But his hair had other things in mind.

As the month kept on going, The single grey hair turned to multiple. Each time, Fjord would carefully pluck every offending hair strand one by one, careful not to rip a single black hair at the same time.

He only stopped the day he noticed a dent in his hairline, where he would keep plucking and plucking.

His vanity made him stop. Fjord wasn't a vain man per se, but he did like his hair. He loved styling his hair, now that it was grown back to a sensible length. He liked to swipe it to the side and make it look like he did not try at all, that he was just effortlessly stylish. You know, the ''I woke up like this'' type of mentality. He had begun to wear more beanies and cap to let them grow out and to stop picking at his hair every time Fjord saw his reflection.

So the next time he went to his hairstylist, he asked.

''So, like, you see my grey hair here?''

She nodded patiently behind him as he pointed the right side of his forehead and carted through the strands to show the twenty-something grey hair. He wasn't counting at all. She nodded and started to move his hair around, trying to find other greying hair. She confirmed she couldn't find any at the back or anywhere else.

''Would you like to dye your hair, for the grey coverage?'' his hairstylist asked, no judgment.

''I mean, I was mostly just curious. I do not know how much it could cost.''

She stated an estimate price, letting him know she did not have the time to do it today, that he would have to make another appointment to do it. He almost burst out laughing at the price. It was stupid to him, how expensive it was.

Then he thought of Jester, how she got her blue hair professionally done every six to eight weeks. She was loaded compared to him. He did not have that kind of cash to keep the six to eight-week schedule. He sighed, silently and shook his head to his beloved hairstylist.

''Just the haircut is fine. Thanks for the info, though.''

She nodded, a nice smile on her face, and went to work. They kept the conversation easy and after fifteen minutes, he had paid – and gave a generous tip – and in his car, phone in hand, dialing Molly's.

''Hey, dude. You know you said you had a hair dying party?''

Molly's voice when up, hopefulness evident in their voice.

''Do you want to join me for the next one? I'm thinking of purple to pink hair for me. You would look dashing in neon green.''

Fjord laughed at his best friend.

''Maybe some other time.'' He answered, noncommittally. ''No, I wanted to know if you could... hmm. Show me how to do it.''

''Do what? Dye your hair? Are you rebelling? Are you dropping the good western boy?''

''You wished.''

When Fjord got to the apartment he shared with Molly, Jester, and Beau, he saw his roommate sprawled on one of the two most uncomfortable couches that came with the student apartment. Molly barely raised their eyes from their laptop when they looked Fjord calling out for Jester and Beau. They keep working on whatever it is they're doing. Paper or shitposting. Sometimes, both are the same, according to Molly and Fjord cannot disagree.

''They're out if you really need to know. Library,'' they answered the not asked question. ''It's only you and me. Like it should always be.''

Their smile is contagious, only because Fjord truly enjoys Mollymauk. But not when their ass is touching the couch and the only reason Fjord does not have an eyeful of dick and balls, is because Molly has their laptop strategically placed on their laps. The way they're angled seems uncomfortable, but they seem to not notice.

''Why are you naked. It's the common area.'' Fjord admonished. ''Go be naked in your room.''

''But where's the fun in that?''

Fjord grunts heavily before throwing one of the blankets Beau keeps dragging in the living room every night they hang out together. She's the only one who runs cold, while Jester, Fjord, and Mollymauk are constantly complaining the second the thermostat reads above 20 degrees Celsius.

''Can you help me? With dye?'' Fjord ends up asking.

Molly raised an eyebrow, finally looking at his roommate in the eye.

''For you?'' They look confused.

''Yes. I hm.'' He takes a too-long pause before removing his cap. Exposing for the first time the shock of grey – almost white now – against the black of his hair. Molly just laughed. Hard. Fjord runs a hand through his hair before putting his cap back on.

''Well fuck you too, then.'' and starts to leave, car keys in hand.

''No nono! Come back here, asshole.'' Fjord stops and can hear Molly shuffling in the living room. He has Beau's blanket wrapped around his waist as they walked toward the big bathroom of the apartment.

''We had an ongoing bet –'' Molly starts but Fjord cuts them.

''A bet about what.''

''Why the sudden obsession with the hats. You were always such a fuckboy about your hair. We were wondering why you kept hiding it.'' Molly answered. They find it quite amusing and it annoys Fjord more than he lets on.

''Did any of you won?'' Fjord ends up asking even though he does not really want to know.

The other person shrugs. ''Maybe or maybe not somebody owes 40 dollars to little old me.'' They do a little victory dance that looks more like wiggling from side to side. ''Thank you for greying so young, it's delightful.''

Fjord just looks at him, thinking of hitting them on the shoulder. He knows if he does, Molly would not help him. So he sighs and scratches at his jaw and wait while Molly picks up a large caddy filled with hair stuff that Fjord is somewhat aware of what everything is. Molly grabs a mixing bowl, some plastic gloves, some petroleum jelly and a few bottles of dye.

''So what do we have here... We have blue. It would match Jester's. You know she would die for it. Or. Green, neon, you should really try it one day. Or, sad, no color, boring black'' They complained.

''Your hair was black three months ago.''

''And what a mess was it to remove. I had to shave my whole head.'' they snap back.

Fjord remembers Molly swearing loudly in the big bathroom and then them coming out, hair spiked in all directions, a horrible smell of burnt hair and chemical floating around them. Mollymauk had walked to him, demanding Fjord's hair clipper. It had been a bonding moment for both of them, while Fjord shaved his friend as best as possible while the other complained non stop of that black hair dye ruining their fun.

''So,'' Molly said, finger full of jelly. ''Now, don't you move while I put this on your forehead. So the dye doesn't stick to your skin.'' and Fjord stopped moving and just waited, sitting on the rim of the bathtub, knees apart so Molly could be as close as they needed.

Smooth music was still playing from Mollymauk's laptop still on the couch which made this nice. Fjord really enjoyed his friend's company and, lately because of the university schedule, it was a mess to spend time together. This, this was nice. Fjord started humming to the music while Molly put on some gloves and combed Fjord's bangs. They made sure to catch all grey hair and started to apply the dye. It smelled like awful chemicals and Fjord stretched to turn on the bathroom's fan.

The fan drowned out all other noises, while Molly continued to work. When they were done, they shoved a shower cap on Fjord's head and smile.

''There you go, silver fox. Just wait thirty minutes and wash it off in cold water.''

And they left, going back to their laptop in the living room. Fjord followed them, opening the tiny TV they had in the corner and changed the channel to the sports one. A rerun of a hockey game was on: local team against Fjord's home team from the west coast. He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through social media, enjoying spending some quiet time with his best friend. It was not so bad, greying at 18. His world did not stop suddenly.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little fluff.
> 
> It was a little something I felt like writing after I re-stumbled on the official art for the characters and how, in their level 10 art, Fjord's grey hair is quite prominent. And he's supposed to be 33-34? Like, I had my first grey hair at 16, so I kinda get the nervousness.
> 
> Anyway! Thank you again for reading!
> 
> All typos and weird sentences are my fault. Sorry!


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